Improvement in fire-arms



i F. KLEIN.

Breech-Loading Fire;Arm.

Patented Apr, 10, 1855.

Witnesses.

Inventor.

fag/M m I Unrrnn STATES PATENT Orrrcn.

FERDINAND KLEIN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l 2,68 l dated April10, 1855.

1'0 a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND KLEIN, of the city of Newark, in thecounty of Essex and State of New Jersey, have made a new and usefulImprovement in Breech-Loading Fire- Arms; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of theconstruction and operation of the same, reference being had to theannexed drawings, making a part of this specification.

In Figure 2 letter I) is a cap or cover of the spring a, that turns thefaucet or chamber in the back end of the barrel to receive the charge. 0is a valve. (1 is a flexible spring used to open and close the valve 0.c is the lever. f is the screw that holds the cylinder in its place. Italso holds the cap I).

In Fig. 3 letterh is the flexible spring that opens and closes the coverof the chamber by the action of the lever E.

In Fig. 8 letter i is a view of the cover of the spring that turns thechamber to receive the charge.

My invention consists in the construction and application of a flexiblespring which is attached to the lever (that turns the faucet orcylinder) at one end, and to the valve (or cover) of the chamber thatreceives the charge at the other end. The flexible nature of this springhas a tendency to open and close the valve as the lever is moved up ordown by the force or action of the flat-wound spring. (See drawings,Fig. 2, letter a.) It also assists in l1old ing the cylinder or fauceton a line with the barrel by preventing it from moving endwise in casethe screw which holds the chamber or faucet should become loosened inany way. I have also constructed and applied a cap or cover over thespring a, (see drawings, Fig. 2,) which carries the cylinder or fauceton a line with the barrel. This cap will prevent the screw from workingloose by the action of the (fl at-wound) spring that opens the chamberto receive the charge, which would be more or less the case if the headof the screw were to come in contact with the spring, as in the old way,and thus the chamber that receives the charge would move out of linewith the barrel if the flat spring which is attached to the lever andvalve or cover of the chamber should not be sufficiently strong to holdit in its place, whereas the arrangement of my cap not only protects thespring from the injurious effects of the weather and dirt, but acts as asafeguard against anything coming in contact with the spring, or theworking loose of the screw that holds the transverse chamber in itsplace. This screw is always more or less loose, in order to allow thechamber to move as freely as possible when turned by the lever orspring.

I am aware that chambers in fire-arms have been covered in various ways;but I am not aware that any arrangement after the above plan has beenadopted-that is, by means of a flexible spring which acts not only toopen and close the cover or valve, but assists to keep the chamber inits proper position. Caps have also been applied for many differentuses, but I do not know that they have ever been adopted to theconstruction of breech-loading firearms after the above plan. Thereforewhat I claim, and desire to'secure by Letters Fatent of the UnitedStates, is-

1. An improvement in the manner of opening and closing the valve orcover of the chamber which receives the charge, in the manner and forthe purpose as above set forth.

2. The use of a cap for the purpose of protecting the chamber and thespring that moves it, as set forth in the foregoing specification.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name in the presence of twowitnesses. FERDINAND KLEIN. W'itnesses:

FREDERIG L. DUNBAR, J AMns P. MOLEAN.

